Imperfections

An elderly Chinese woman had two large
pots, each hung on the ends of a pole
which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while 
the other pot was perfect and always
delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the
stream to the house, the cracked pot
arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily,
with the woman bringing home one and
a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of
its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of
its own imperfection, and miserable that
it could only do half of what it had been
made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be
a bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one
day by the stream - "I am ashamed of myself,
because this crack in my side causes water
to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that
there are flowers on your side of the path,
but not on the other pot's side?

"That's because I have always known about
your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your
side of the path, and every day while we walk
back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these
beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without your being just the way you are, there
would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's
the cracks and flaws we each have that make
our lives together so very interesting and
rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for
what they are and look for the good in them.

So, have a great day and remember to smell
the flowers on your side of the path!